In the Pews

Stories of real-life Catholics living out their faith, with reporting on parishes, ministries, and vocation.

A mother’s anguish

In an essay from 2005, one mother shares the lifetime of suffering beneath the clergy sex-abuse headlines. I am a mother of a son who was sexually abused...

Whitewash or renewal?

In year two of the sex-abuse scandal, it it time for the laity to brush up on their leadership skills? About 200 laypeople from some 50 Chicago-area parishes...

Who’s the boss?

The priest shortage is generating some creative solutions to parish staffing, but they require a little flexibility and a healthy sense of humor on the part of...

Out of sight, out of mind

Once ubiquitous, the parish priest is disappearing into thin air, with troubling effects on young Catholic imaginations. A few years ago while teaching, I...